The move followed Seoul’s distribution of anti-Pyongyang leaflets, Yonhap news agency said
North Korea has sent more than 150 balloons carrying trash and manure across its shared border with South Korea in an apparent retaliation for a leaflet campaign, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday citing the military.
The balloons began crossing the border on Tuesday night, falling in various parts of the country, and reaching as far as South Korea’s southeast province of South Gyeongsang – more than 280 km (180 miles) from the North, the outlet said.
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© Handout / South Korean Defence Ministry / AFP
The balloons carried various pieces of trash – such as plastic bottles, batteries and shoe parts – and even manure, scattering waste as they fell to the ground. Military personnel collected the objects for a detailed analysis, a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official told the news agency.
“These acts by North Korea clearly violate international law and seriously threaten our people’s safety,” the JCS said. “[We] sternly warn North Korea to immediately stop its inhumane and vulgar act.”
Seoul’s military has advised people not to touch the items and to report to nearby military or police authorities if they discover them, warning that the balloons could cause damage as they fall.